In the 1977 San Diego Section 2A championship football game in Qualcomm Stadium, Allen led Lincoln High to a 34-6 win over Kearny, scoring all of Lincoln's touchdowns, four on offense, another on defense.

He had TD runs of 10, 20, 30 and 85 yards. And he scored on a 60-yard interception return.

Allen had 195 yards rushing in the title game.

"I've never been in awe of any athlete who ran against our defense," Kearny Coach Tom Barnett said at the time. "As the game went on, I said, 'There is no way we're going to stop that guy.'"

Allen chose to play at USC, which recruited him as a defensive back.

"That was the most incredible individual effort I've seen by a high school player," said Hudson Houck, USC's recruiting guru and assistant coach at the time.

You can argue a lot of things about prep football in san Diego ... best player, best team, best coach. But veteran prep writers all agree that Allen's performance against Kearny was the best ever in a championship game.

Allen was switched to tailback at USC by Coach John Robinson, but carried just 31 times as a freshman.

He played fullback as sophomore, blocking for Heisman Trophy winner Charles White.

The 1980 season belonged to Allen, who made the switch to tailback, gaining 1,563 yards. In 1981, Allen won his own Heisman Trophy, carrying the ball 403 times for 2,342 yards .... the first player in NCAA history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

"He's the greatest player I ever saw," Robinson said.

Allen was the 10th player chosen in the 1982 NFL Draft, going to the Los Angeles Raiders.

He played 11 years for the Raiders, leading then to a win over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII.

His 74-yard TD run in that game was the longest in Super Bowl history at the time and is remembered as one of the best open-field runs in Super Bowl history.

Allen played 11 seasons for the Raiders before leaving the team after a dispute with owner Al Davis.

Davis called Allen "a cancer to the team."

Allen said "I think Davis tried to ruin the latter part of my career, tried to devalue me."

Allen signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 1993, scoring 12 rushing TDs.

He played four years with the Chiefs, leaving the game after the 1997 season with 3,022 carries for 12,243 yards and 123 rushing TDs. He added 5,411 yards receiving and 21 TDs.

Allen was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1999.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Marcus Allen

Born: March 26, 1960 (San Diego)

San Diego Impact: A quarterback and defensive back at Lincoln High, Allen was the San Diego Section Player of the Year in 1977. He led Vic Player's Hornets to the 1977 San Diego Section 2A championship with a 34-6 win over Kearny in the title game.

Achievements: Recruited as a defensive back by Coach John Robinson, he signed with USC and was switched to fullback, then tailback as a junior in 1980. He rushed for 1,563 yards as a junior and won the Heisman Trophy in 1981, rushing 403 times for 2,342 yards and 22 TDs. He was the first player in NCAA history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season and he led all college football in scoring. He was also the Pac-10 Player of the Year and won the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards. Allen was the 10th overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, going to the Los Angeles Raiders. In a strike-shortened season, he rushed for 697 yards and was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Allen led the Raiders to a win in Super Bowl XVIII. His 74-yard, broken-field TD run was the longest in Super Bowl history at the time. He left the Raiders and was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 with the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his career with 12,243 rushing yards and 123 rushing TDs. He was enshrined at the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Hall of Champions in 1999 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Did you know? Led by Allen in 1997, Lincoln went on to win five San Diego Section 2A championships in 10 years.

Since 1960, the San Diego Section has had a number of its Players of the Year go on to play ion the NFL. The list includes Toussaint Tyler (El Camino in 1976), Ricky Williams (Henry in 1994), Pisa Tinoisamoa (Vista in 1998) and Rggie Bush (Helix in 2001).

Ask the people who've seen them all, and they'll tell you Marcus Allen tops the list.